How to Safely Clean a Metal Roof with a High Pressure Washer
If your business has a metal roof and you’re tired of paying companies to clean it for you, then you’re in luck – we can help. At Geyser Equipment we offer both the pressure washing equipment you need to get the job done, but we can also offer advice and instructions on how to clean various surfaces. Read on to discover how you can use a pressure washer to clean a metal roof and then stop by or call us at 951-509-9269 to learn more.
You have many options when cleaning a metal roof
When you clean a metal roof, it’s a lot different than cleaning tile or asphalt roof. When you clean metal, you can use light pressure if necessary, and you can use a hot water pressure washer. You can also simply wash it with detergent, depending on how accessible the roof is and what its pitch is.
How to clean various types of metal roofs
The best way to clean a particular metal roof will depend on what type of metal roof it is. Some of the most common examples include:
- Flat metal rooves with slight slopes. This type of roof allows you to walk on it, though you should use extreme caution because they can get very slippery.
- Metal rooves with moderate to high pitch. If you’re going to be cleaning this type of metal roof, we recommend spraying it with a chemical off of the ladder instead of walking on the roof itself. These rooves are frankly just too unsafe to walk on.
Getting the right safety equipment
Most of the process of staying safe while cleaning a metal roof involves getting the proper safety equipment. This includes a harness and fall safe. Even when the roof is cleared off and clean, they can still be extremely slippery and you need to protect yourself. Another important piece of safety equipment is a ladder with padded stabilizers. Note that metal roofs have unique coatings that protect them. If you want to prevent scratching and damaging this coating, then you will want to make sure that your ladder stabilizer arms have a soft surface touching.
Using the right pressure washer
Finally, you want to choose the right hot pressure washer. We recommend one with a 40-degree tip. When used on a flat tip, it is very effective and quick to get rid of algae, mildew, mold, and other debris. You don’t need a very high pressure to clean a metal roof and we recommend not using more pressure than is needed so that you don’t damage the roof. We do highly recommend hot water over cold water, as it is much more effective at breaking up and cleaning grime.
If you need more information about the best type of pressure washer for your needs then we highly recommend you reach out to Geyser Equipment to let us help.
